Today I am going to show you how to make this lovely blue dragon. I have used my swerly clay pattern that I show you how to achieve here How to make swerly patterned clay
You will need:
- 2 different coloured clay (Fimo/polymer clay)
- 2 crystal beads for eyes and any crystals you are going to have it hold or mounted in its head.
- Some florists wire and something to cut it
- A pin or pin tool
- A rounded tool for smoothing and making the eye socket.
Method
1) Roll out a ball of clay, making sure that you have it smooth. Then, one Side you roll between your fingers and pull out into the tail. Using the same technique, pull out a thicker and stumpyer bit for the neck as shown in the above picture.
2) Putting the body to one side, we are going to make the legs. The top 2 are the arms and they are in the position to hold something.
Make sure you start out with 4 smooth balls the same size. Then you use the same technique as with the neck and tail, to pull the clay out into a long cone shape. You then manipulate it into the right shapes as pictured.
3) Very easy. Get the body and press it firmly onto it's base. Remember, the base needs to be able to go though an oven baking without melting.
Pinch along the back to create a spine.
4) Using your contrasting colour, you are going to roll out 12 tiny claws, like in the pipicture above.
5) Push the back legs onto the body and get the feet into a position you like, then make sure they are secure.
Then add 3 claws onto each feet.
6) If you are planning on having your dragon hold anything, then add this to the front and push it against the chest to start to secure it in place.
7) Add the front arms. Make sure you press them to the body, so they are firmly attached. You then position the arms and paws where you want. Make sure that they are firmly stuck to the base and the crystal, as you want the crystal to be very secure.
9) It's time for the tail to get some TLC. Position it how you like (I often bring it round the back legs ), remember that if you have it lifted off the ground, it is far more likely to break while baking.
I advise you insert an extra bit of florists wire to strengthen it. Don't forget to cover up and smooth off the resulting hole in the tip.
I decided to add a spiral in the contrast colour. Make a small sausage and press it flat, then twist it with your fingers.
10) Put the body to one side as we are going to make it's head.
Roll out a smooth ball, then roll on side of the ball to make a kind of pear shape (like in the picture).
11) Using a ball tool, uo make eye sockets on both sides.
Remember that predatorshave their eyes to the front and prey have their eyes to the sides.
12) If you are using crystals for eyes, place a bit of baking foil in each of the backs of the eye sockets (shiny side out) and smooth it in place with the ball tool.
If you are using a ball of clay or something not reflective, don't bother with this. It will make your crystals sparkle.
I like to use coloured Swarovski crystals.
13) Add your eyes to each eye socket.
14 ) Putting the head to one side, we are going to make eyelids.
You want a small sausage tapered at both ends, for the bottom lid. For the top lid, you want a little semi circle that is flat and tapered at the corners.
I have put a eye crystal next to them, so you can get a size idea. Obviously you want 2 of each unless you are making a cyclops.
15) Put the bottom eyelid in place. Make sure that it is overlapping the crystal a little bit, as it is the job of the eyelids to hold the crystal in place. Press it firmly to the head.
16) Now for the top eyelid. Just like before, make sure that it overlaps the crystal a little bit and press it down firmly.
17) Smooth the joint of the top eyelid over with the head.
This is so it looks like part of the head rather than something that is attached. It looks far more natural.
Repeat this process with the bottom eyelid and then repeat on the other eye.
18) Add 2 little balls of the contrasting colour to the tip of the nose and press down firmly.
19) Using your pin tool, wiggle some nostril holes in the blue dots and then use it to make a mouth. I turn up the ends for a happy look.
Sometimes, I make 2 of the claws in white and place them under the top lip as fangs. Use your pin tool to make sure they are firmly attached.
20) The head goes to one side and we are back to the body.
Remember how you smoothed the eyelids to the head? Well we are doing the same thing for the shoulders.
In the picture, I have done the 2 on the right and not the left so you can see what a difference it makes.
21) It's time to put the head on the neck. Make sure you push it down firmly, so it bonds well to the neck.
If your neck is thin or long, you will need to put some florists wire down the neck. Leave some sticking out, so you can inpale the head on it.
22) Roll out a tiny sausage that is long enough to go around the neck.
23) Put the sausage around the neck in the join between the head and the neck.
24) Smooth the sausage intothe joint to strengthen the joint and make it look natural.
Position the head in a pose you like.
25) Make 2 thin sausages out of the contrasting colour, then press them flat. Then while holding one end, you twist the other.
Do this with each ofthe 2 sausages, then place them above the eyelid, going in a slight curve down the back of the head.
Then put it to one side.
26) Cut 2 L's of florist wire. I hold it against the dragon and then I can see how big to make them.
You're going to need a few centimetres of wire out the bottom of the wings to stick into the dragon's back.
27) Roll out 2 balls. On each of the balls, push one of the wire Ls through the middle until the ball is in the corner.
Roll and pull the clay out, like you did with the tail. One side of the L is thicker and it stops half way and the other is thinner, covering the whole wire completely. Make sure you cover and smooth out the tip.
Use your fingers to pinch out a little hook at the corners.
28) Roll out 2 balls of the contrasting colour. Using your hands to flatten the balls into disks, the thickness you want the wing.
You then press the sides of the disk against your board, to turn it into a triangle.
Then using any of the tools handles ect, put in 3 dents along the long side and smooth out any creases this causes.
Then push the tangle into the L's.
29) Roll out some long very thin sausages in the mane colour.
Start them from the corner and bring them to the top of each of the dips in the edge.
Push them down firmly, to make sure they are attached.
This is so it looks like part of the head rather than something that is attached. It looks far more natural.
Repeat this process with the bottom eyelid and then repeat on the other eye.
Sometimes, I make 2 of the claws in white and place them under the top lip as fangs. Use your pin tool to make sure they are firmly attached.
Remember how you smoothed the eyelids to the head? Well we are doing the same thing for the shoulders.
In the picture, I have done the 2 on the right and not the left so you can see what a difference it makes.
If your neck is thin or long, you will need to put some florists wire down the neck. Leave some sticking out, so you can inpale the head on it.
Position the head in a pose you like.
Do this with each ofthe 2 sausages, then place them above the eyelid, going in a slight curve down the back of the head.
Then put it to one side.
You're going to need a few centimetres of wire out the bottom of the wings to stick into the dragon's back.
Roll and pull the clay out, like you did with the tail. One side of the L is thicker and it stops half way and the other is thinner, covering the whole wire completely. Make sure you cover and smooth out the tip.
Use your fingers to pinch out a little hook at the corners.
28) Roll out 2 balls of the contrasting colour. Using your hands to flatten the balls into disks, the thickness you want the wing.
You then press the sides of the disk against your board, to turn it into a triangle.
Then using any of the tools handles ect, put in 3 dents along the long side and smooth out any creases this causes.
Then push the tangle into the L's.
Start them from the corner and bring them to the top of each of the dips in the edge.
Push them down firmly, to make sure they are attached.
30) Push the wire ends of the wings into the dragon'sback at an angle. I tend to do both wings at once, so they lay right.
Push until the side of the wings are securely attached to the back, making sure that the rest of the wing is laying right and not getting caught up in his leg.
Smooth down the join of the wing to the back and ad a polished pebble for a front horn if you wish.
All finished!
You can do verious embellishment's like spikes on the back and various head frills and horns. Play around and see what you like.
Baking
Follow the instructions on the packet.
I personally use the temperature needed for Fimo professional (110oc) but as it is a thicker piece, I bake it for an hour.
I generally cover the tray it is on in baking foil (as my husband don't like the smell of Fimo in the oven).
I would use a oven thermometer to make sure that your work is at the right temperature. Too low and it stays like soft clay inside, too hot and it will scorch.
You need to leave it in long enough to make sure that your creation gets to 110oc all the way through, as a soft core will cause cracking and even breakages. You can't bake for too long, as the clay is happy at that temperature.
You can give it a coat of varnish once it has cooled, but only certain varnishes. I will do a blog on that in the future.
Do show me your end results and let me know if you have any questions and tell me if you found this helpful.
Good luck and big hugs.
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